Fighting high blood pressure: renin-angiotensin system blockadeThis project aims to create new drugs for the treatment of high blood pressure ( hypertension), which isan opportunity to improve the quality of life for over a billion people worldwide.

Ideally, new antihypertensive drugs not only lower blood pressure, but also offer organ protection. The project studies the consequences of blocking the biological pathways in cells and organs that regulate blood pressure and thus can cause hypertension. As such, the project enables finding new ways to better treat hypertension and its associated vascular complications. In addition, the project will focus on find¬ing new ways for the treatment of fibrosis and pulmo¬nary hypertension, especially in children.

Background

Hypertension is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack, heart failure and stroke. The number of people suffering from high blood pressure worldwide is increasing: 1 billion people are currently affected, but estimates predict that in 2025 the number will exceed 1.5 billion. Despite the high occurrence and sometimes great burden of the disease, available treatments are far from sufficient. And for children suffering from hypertension, an adequate treatment does not even exist.

Fibrosis is caused by the formation of excess fibrous connective tissue in organ or tissue as a reparative or reactive process. Fibrosis can disrupt the normal functioning of the organ or tissue affected.